Nothing feels useless or superfluous. Every side quest is incredible, but the ten listed below stand head and shoulders above the rest. Bethesda’s take on the Falloutseries has never been more well-received than it was upon Fallout 3’s release, but we are hoping whatever the company has in store for the series’ future brings back some of that old glory.
Updated May 18th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Although Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas are great releases in their own right, there is something about Fallout 3 that some players adore. Those that are looking for great RPG exploration among a nuclear wasteland will definitely enjoy Fallout 3’s gritty environments and intense narratives. There are a lot of great quests found throughout the Capital Wasteland but some of them are much more entertaining or rewarding than others. To better showcase some of the best side quests in Fallout 3, the following list has been updated with more entries.
13 Our Little Secret
Players that are looking more for an “experience” rather than a reward will want to check out Our Little Secret. This unmarked quest shows up for players when they enter Andale and speak to an NPC named Old Man Harris. He will warn players that they should keep away from the town of Andale, and speaking to the residents there hints that something is definitely “off” about the area. Players that persist through the quest and find the keys to either the Garden Shed or the Smith House Basement (or lock pick them, although they’re very difficult locks to pick). Once players discover the horrors hidden within the town, they’ll have a choice to make. They can either walk away with goodies in hand or fight back against the evils lurking in the village. This is definitely one for those looking for some narrative hidden among the wasteland.
12 Nuka-Cola Challenge
There are a lot of strange individuals sprinkled throughout the wastelands of Fallout 3. During their travels, players may come across a tiny settlement nestled under a crumbling overpass called Girdershade. This particular settlement is incredibly small and actually only houses two residents. One of them, Sierra Petrovita, is a connoisseur of all things Nuka Cola. After taking a tour around their museum-like surroundings, they will task players with collecting 30 Nuka Cola Quantum.
Most players that have explored the wastelands a bit likely know that Nuka Cola Quantum isn’t nearly as easy to find as its “original flavor” counterpart, but there is a way to boost how many that players can find. The Quantum Chemist perk can make this task much easier as it will automatically convert any 10 normal Nuka Cola into one Nuka Cola Quantum. Sierra will pay 40 Caps for each bottle the player returns, but the real reward is the Nuka Grenade schematics the player will receive for giving up 30 bottles total.
11 You Gotta Shoot ‘Em In The Head
Some Fallout 3 quests are a lot more involved than others and some are much more lucrative if players don’t blindly do as the quest-give says. This is especially true in the side quest, You Gotta Shoot ‘Em In The Head. Players will be given a task from Mister Crowley, a ghoul resident of Underworld. Players will be sent on a quest to retrieve multiple keys from a few different figures found in various locations. Mister Crowley will not alert the player as to what the keys are for, and will give the player a hefty sum of caps in exchange for them. Players that simply do as they’re told without exploring what the keys open will miss out on the T-51b Power Armor.
If players open the location and take the armor for themselves they will upset Crowley who will no longer speak with them for the duration of the game. Those that want to keep his good graces can always unlock the door, hand the keys to Crowley, and then simply return to grab the armor at a later time.
10 Wasteland Survival Guide
Moira Brown is one of the sweetest, most cheery characters in Fallout, so helping her out is no problem at all. “Wasteland Survival Guide” is not only fun because of her, however. The quest is great to take on early in the game because it sends the player to all different corners of the map, forcing them to explore and discover areas in a natural, organic way. It also steadily gives supplies during the course of the long quest.
9 Agatha’s Song
Where so many of the quest’s involve the player solving problems through violence or helping people in extremely dire situations, “Agatha’s Song” is a more mellow, low-stakes mission. Players simply head to Vault 92 to find a valuable violin for Agatha, an old woman living alone in a small house. After retrieving the instrument, a new radio station unlocks of Agatha playing classical music, a fun respite from the kitschy pop classics from the 1940s and 1950s.
8 Oasis
Fallout 3 has few connections to other games in the series, mostly because it takes place across the country and many decades after Fallout 2. However, the “Oasis” quest features Harold, a man who fans encountered in the older games with a tree growing from his head.
By Fallout 3, he is more tree than human, and asks the players to destroy him and the tree. The only problem is the cult of people who worship Harold. The weird situation harkens back to the older games’ dark humor.
7 The Replicated Man
This quest, found in Rivet City, became more relevant with Fallout 4’s release, since the fourth game in the series deals with The Institute and synths. A scientist from this organization asks the player to track down a synth who escaped the institute and lives in Rivet City. The player can choose to either bring the robot back to the scientist or side with the android. This idea is the foundation of Fallout 4’s plot.
6 Blood Ties
“Blood Ties” deals with some extremely pressing emotional issues. Players investigate a series of attacks on the Arefu settlement, discovering they were perpetrated by people with a taste for human flesh and blood. One of the town’s residents kills his parents and joins this blood-drinking group, known as the Family. Players can solve the issue without spilling any additional blood, or they can reign destruction on the Family. Broker a deal with the Family and one can earn the ability to drink blood for health.
5 Strictly Business
This quest is interesting because successfully completing it is a negative thing. The slavers in Paradise Falls ask you to capture a list of VIP targets. While it is possible to do the quest and earn some goodies, any player with morals will more likely try to destroy the slaver settlement, resulting in one of the biggest battles of the main game. Of course, evil-minded players can go through the quest normally and help out the slavers.
4 Tenpenny Tower
Even in the post-apocalypse, the rich still manage to make an exclusive slice of heaven. The “Tenpenny Tower” quest involves the residents of the tower’s hatred of ghouls. Players can either clear the ghouls out of the nearby cave or side with the mutated humans and destroy the residents of Tenpenny Tower. Whatever choice one makes, there is a reward either way. Those against bigotry will likely want to destroy the society living in Tenpenny Tower.
3 Reilly’s Rangers
“Reilly’s Rangers” is a classic quest of saving people from super mutants. The rangers are a group of mercenaries stuck in a hospital, and the player must go through several indoor environments to save them. All of them can die if one is not efficient enough, affecting the reward. Upon completion players receive the Geomapper Module, which allows them to receive caps for finding locations upon returning the Reilly.
2 Trouble On The Homefront
This quests showcases the game’s scale because it shows the effects of the opening. Return to Vault 101 after two weeks of game time to find the place in complete disarray and chaos.
The state of the vault changes slightly depending on how the player leaves in the intro, but it is always negative. Upon returning, The Vault is divided into factions and on the verge of collapse. The most positive outcome sees the overseer allowing people to leave for supplies and to find new partners to ensure a wider genetic variety.
1 The Power Of The Atom
This quest is also connected to Tenpenny Tower. The residents want Megaton wiped off the map to make the view more pleasing. This is essential to do in the beginning of the game because either choice results in earning a living space in either Megaton or Tenpenny Tower. Detonating a nuclear bomb and killing numerous innocent people is extremely dark, but perfect for someone role-playing as an evil character.
Next: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Lone Wanderer
